Gripping head with adjustable pivots for swinging jaws



W. A. REICH Feb.4, 1969 GRIPPING HEAD WITH ADJUSTABLE PIVOTS FOR SWINGING JAWS Filed Dec. 22. 1966 Sheet of 2 INVENTOR Re/ch Wczlfer A.

W. A- REICH Feb. 4, 1969 GRIPPING HEAD WITH ADJUSTABLE PIVOTS FOR SWINGING JAWS Filed D96. 22. 1966 Sheet United States Patent 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A gripping head having particular utility for handling meat carcasses including a pair of swingable jaws and overcenter locking means for locking the jaws in place when the same are in clamping relationship with respect to the carcass. Also included is slide structure mounting the pintles of the jaws for movement toward and away from each other to alter the capacity of the jaws to coincide with the outer dimensions of the carcass or other object clamped thereby. Wedge means are provided for wedging the slide structures and thereby the pintles toward one another, and a spring is provided to bias the structures apart. A single handle is provided for initially shifting the wedge means to properly adjust the spacing between the pintles, to thereafter swing the jaws into clamping relationship with respect to the object held thereby, and then operate the lock means to lock the jaws in their closed condition.

This invention relates to an adjustable gripping apparatus, and more particularly, to a gripping head with adjustable pivots for the swingable jaws thereof.

It is the primary object of the instant invention to provide an improved gripping apparatus wherein is included economically produced means for easily and quickly altering the capacity of the apparatus to permit tight gripping of objects of various sizes whereby the utility of the apparatus is increased without a substantial increase in the manufacturing cost thereof.

Another very important object of the invention is the provision of an improved gripping apparatus having overcenter locking means of the general type illustrated in my US Letters Patent No. 3,141,564, entitled Hand Truck, issued July 21, 1964, wherein the jaw pivots (pintles) are shiftable toward and away from each other to the end that the capacity of the apparatus is quickly and easily altered.

Yet another very important object of the present inven tion is the provision of such apparatus including means for readily shifting the pintles together with a minimum of effort and positively preventing shifting of the same apart so that after the capacity of the apparatus has been adjusted to coincide with the size of the object to be gripped thereby, the locking means is operated to lock the object in the apparatus.

A further very important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the type described wherein the means for shifting the pintles and the structure for swinging and locking the jaws are operated by actuation of a single device whereby the capacity of the apparatus is properly adjusted and the jaws are locked in gripping relationship with respect to an object therebetween during a single operation of the device.

An extremely important aim of the instant invention is the provision of improved gripping apparatus having overcenter locking means and means for altering the capacity of the apparatus wherein, during the actuation of the apparatus by a single lever, the capacity of the apparatus is altered to coincide with the dimensions of an object to be held thereby and thereafter the apparatus is locked on the object without further altering the capacity of the apparatus.

3,425,732 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, top plan view of gripping apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the instant invention and illustrating the jaws of the apparatus in their opened condition;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus similar to FIG. 1 with certain portions broken away to illustrate details of construction and with the jaws shown in their closed condition;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational View of the apparatus with the jaws thereof in their closed condition;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

Gripping apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the instant invention in the nature of a gripping head having particular utility when used in conjunction with a hand truck for handling meat carcasses of the type described in my above-mentioned patent, is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and is broadly designated by the numeral 10.

Head 10 includes a substantially rectangular body 12 and a pair of opposed, object-grasping jaws 14 mounted for swinging about the axis of a pair of spaced pintles 16. Each pintle comprises a screw having a bearing shaft 18 journalled through an aperture 20 in the corresponding jaw 14, a head 22 adapted for receiving an insertion tool as can be seen viewing FIG. 1, and a threaded portion 24 at the opposite end of pintle 16 from head 22.

Body 12 has a bore 26 extending transversely therethrough, and a pair of opposed anvils 28 are slidably received in bore 26 as can be seen viewing FIG. 4. Each anvil receives the threaded portion 24 of a corresponding pintle 16 therein and the lower end of each shaft 18 extends through a corresponding elongated slot 30 in body 12 which communicates with bore 26. Anvils 28 thus present means mounting the pintles 16 for movement toward and away from one another and such movement is permitted by slots 30. Means in the nature of a compression spring 32 is provided for biasing anvils 28 apart.

Body 12 has a pair of spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending bores 34 therein communicating: with bore 26 as can be seen viewing FIG. 4, and a mechanism 36 is received within bores 34 for shifting anvils 28 and thereby pintles 16. Mechanism 36 is substantially U-shaped and includes a yoke 38 interconnecting a pair of legs 40-. Each leg 40 has wedge means in the nature of an elongated element 42 at the free end thereof, and each element 42 has an inclined surface 44 complementally engaging an inclined face 46 on the adjacent anvil 28 and it can be seen viewing FIG. 4, that upon movement of mechanism 36 rightwardly, anvils will be forced toward one another against the bias of spring 32.

Apparatus 10 is provided with structure 48 for swinging jaws 14 about pintles 16. Structure 48 includes a rod 50 reciprocable within a boss 52 and along an annular groove 54 of body 12. A pair of links 56 are pivotally mounted on end 58 of rod 50 by pivot means 51 and eX- tend therefrom toward respective jaws 14 as can best be seen viewing FIGS. 1 and 2. A pivot structure 60 is pro vided for swingably mounting each link 56 on a respective jaw 14 and it can be seen that upon rightward shifting of rod 50 along groove 54, jaws 14 will be swung about pintles 16 toward the closed position thereof (FIG. 2). Each jaw 14 is provided with an elongated slot 62 disposed to receive a guide screw 64 therethrough, the latter being threadably received in body 12 and having a head 66 disposed to slidably engage the surface of the respective jaw 14 and maintain the latter in parallelism with respect to body 12.

Rod 50 and links 56 present over-center means for locking jaws 14 in their closed condition. In this respect, groove 54 presents a shoulder 68 at the right-hand end thereof disposed for engaging the right-hand end 58 of rod 50 after pivot means 51 has been displaced rightwardly beyond the center of pivots 60. Thus, the object (not shown) clamped between jaws 14 will exert a force on the latter which will act through links 56 on rod 50 to bias the latter toward shoulder 68 and, therefore, jaws 14 will be locked in their closed condition.

Apparatus is provided with a device 70 for shifting pintles 16 toward one another upon initial actuation of the device and for swinging jaws 14 about pintles 16 upon continued actuation of the device. Device 70 includes an elongated handle 72 connected to a flange 74 projecting out wardly from boss 52 by a connector 76 which extends between end 7211 of handle 72 and flange 74 and is pivotally connected to each.

Device 70 is provided with a U-shaped actuator 78 for operating mechanism 36. Actuator 78 has opposed, hollow leg elements 80 receiving the legs 40 of mechanism 36 therethrough, and a compression spring 82 is provided for biasing each element 80 away from the element 42 of the corresponding leg 40. Thus, upon rightward movement of actuator 78 (FIG. 4), force will be transmitted through compression springs 82 to move elements 42 rightwardly and pintles 16 toward one another.

It is to be understood that, during the movement of pintles 16 toward one another, jaws 14 will swing about the axis of pivot structure 60 to move jaws 14 into contact with the object to be clamped therebetween, The swinging of jaws 14 about the axis of structure 60 is permitted by the freedom provided by slots 62. As soon as the jaws 14 engage the object therebetween, pintles 16 can no longer move toward one another and thus, elements 42 can no longer be moved rightwardly. At this time, and upon further rightward movement of actuator 80, the yieldable connection provided by springs 82 permits elements 80 to move without a corresponding movement of the elements 42. Actuator 78 has a bight portion 84 interconnecting elements 80 for movement together as a unit. Viewing FIG. 3, it can be seen that bight 84 is provided with an car 86 which pivotally mounts a link 88. Link 88 extends from ear 86 and is pivotally mounted at the other end thereof to a portion 90 of handle 72 disposed between the ends of the latter.

Apparatus 10 is provided with linkage 92 for interconnecting device 70 and structure 48. Linkage 92 includes a pair of opposed tabs 94 on the end of rod 50 adjacent handle 72. Beach tab 94 has an elongated slot 96 therein disposed longitudinally of rod 50 for shiftably receiving respective opposite ends of a pin 98 which extends through handle 72 and projects outwardly therefrom on opposite sides thereof.

Each jaw 14 is provided with an object-clamping element 100 mounted thereon for swinging about a pivot 102. Elements 100 are constructed of plastic material to preclude marring or tearing of an object clamped therebetween. The elements 100 are interconnected by an elongated yoke 104 pivotally mounted at opposite ends thereof to respective elements 100. Yoke 104 provides means for swinging the free ends 100a of elements 100 apart when jaws 14 are swung apart. This action is best illustrated by comparing FIGS. 1 and 2. Yoke 104 is connected to the midpoint of a spring 106 extending laterally across body 12 for centering yoke 104 with respect to body 12 to align elements 100.

Viewing FIG. 1, apparatus 10 is shown in its open condition. After an object to be clamped is positioned between elements 100, handle 72 is actuated by swinging the same toward body 12 on connector 76. Handle 72 acts through link 88 on bight portion 84 to move the latter toward body 12 and thereby move pintles 16 toward one another. In the meantime, pin 98 slides freely in slot 96 and thus rod 50 is not shifted during this initial actuation of device 70.

After elements engage the object therebetween, pintles 16 no longer are free to move toward one another and further movement of bight 84 toward body 12 results only in compression of springs 82. After handle 72 has been actuated sufficiently far to properly adjust pintles 16, pin 98 engages the tabs at the right-hand end (FIG. 3) of slot 96 and upon continued actuation of device 70 by swinging handle 72 on connector 76, rod 50 is moved rightwardly to swing jaws 14 about the axis of pintles 16 into clamping relationship with respect to the object therebetween. Actuation of device 70 is continued until pivot means 51 is moved beyond the center line of pivot structures 60 and thus, jaws 14 are locked in clamping relationship with respect to the object. A releasable lock 108 is provided to secure handle 72 in its actuated condition as illustrated in FIG. 3. Lock 108 serves as a back-up for the over-center lock means provided by links 56.

Apparatus 10 provides novel mechanism for increasing the flexibility of the same by readily altering the capacity of the jaws 14. Furthermore, structure has been provided for positively controlling the disposition of the pintles 16 and thereby the capacity of the apparatus 10. The novel wedging action provided by the cooperation between elements 42 and anvils 28 provides a degree of capacity control heretofore unknown. Manifestly, the inventive concepts embodied in apparatus 10 which permit capacity adjustment and jaw clamping with a single handle 72, provide an ease of operation not previously thought possible for such clamping heads. Thus, it can be seen that all of the objects, purposes and aims of the instant invention have been fulfilled in a substantial sense.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a gripping apparatus,

a body;

a pair of opposed object-grasping jaws provided with corresponding pintles about which the jaws swing; means mounting the pintles on the body for movement toward and away from one another;

mechanism carried by the body and coupled with the pintles for shifting the latter toward each other; structure mounted on the body and coupled with the jaws for swinging the latter; and

a manually manipula-ble device on the body connected with the mechanism and with the structure for shifting the pintles upon initial actuation of the device and for swinging the jaws upon continued actuation of the device, said mounting means including a pair of normally spaced, end-to-end anvils slidably carried by the body for movement toward and away from each other, each anvil carrying a respective one of said pintles, said mechanism including wedge means engaging each anvil respectively and carried by the body for movement to positions forcing the anvils toward each other.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein is included a yoke interconnecting said wedge means for movement together as a unit.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein is provided means yieldably biasing said anvils apart and into engagement with said wedge means.

4. In a gripping apparatus,

a body;

a pair of opposed object-grasping jaws provided with corresponding pintles about which the jaws swing; means mounting the pintles on the body for movement toward and away from one another;

mechanism carried by the body and coupled with the pintles for shifting the latter toward each other; structure mounted on the body and coupled with the jaws for swinging the latter;

a manually manipulable device on the body connected with the mechanism and with the structure for shifting the pintles upon initial actuation of the device and for swinging the jaws upon continued actuation of the device; and

yieldable means interconnecting said device and said mechanism for permitting continued actuation of the device after further shifting of the pintles is prevented.

5. The invention of claim 4, wherein said device and said mechanism include respective, elongated, spaced, endto-end elements shiftable toward and away from each other, said yieldable means including a compression spring between the element biasing the same apart.

6. The invention of claim 4, wherein is included linkage interconnecting said device and said structure including a part on the device and a part on the structure, said parts being normally spaced and movable into operative engagement during said initial actuation of the device to swing the jaws only during continued actuation of the device.

7. In a gripping apparatus,

a body;

a pair of opposed jaws provided with corresponding pintles about which the jaws swing;

a pair of normally spaced, end-to-end anvils slidably carried by the body for movement toward and away from each other, each anvil carrying a respective one of said pintles, and

mechanism carried by the body and coupled with the pintles for shifting the latter toward each other, said mechanism including wedge means engaging each anvil respectively and carried by the body for movement to positions forcing the anvils toward each other.

8. The invention of claim 7, wherein is included a yoke interconnecting said wedge means for movement together as a unit.

9. The invention of claim 7, wherein is provided means yieldably biasing said anvils apart and into engagement with said wedge means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1942 Harcos 294-1l5 X 

